Upland residents tell council of unsecured dumpsters, intersection crashes and ongoing neighborhood code concerns

Several residents used the March 24 oral‑communications period to bring safety and code‑enforcement issues to the Upland City Council.

John Glenn described an incident he said occurred Jan. 7 when an unsecured commercial dumpster rolled and damaged his wife's car in a Walgreens parking area. Glenn said two dumpsters associated with a nearby Bank of America location were parked in the CVS/Walgreens lot, unsecured and not chained or bolted, and that the business declined responsibility after attributing the incident to high winds. Glenn said he provided photos and urged the city to review building and safety codes for dumpster storage.

Frank Ayala, identifying himself as a lifelong Upland resident and Upland High School alumnus, said he was recently T‑boned at the intersection of H Street and San Antonio Avenue. He urged increased enforcement at that intersection and others he named, and suggested stepped‑up police presence, including motorcycle patrols, to deter red‑light running.

Avraham (no last name provided) addressed the council on national immigration, protest and civil‑liberties concerns, urging the council to “stand up for free speech” and to ask the federal government to release an individual he identified as Mahmoud Khalil; his remarks expressed strong views on federal action and U.S.–Israel policy. The council did not take action on federal matters during the meeting; public‑comment time is limited by the Brown Act and council members noted they could not discuss items not on the posted agenda.

Another speaker, Joel T., delivered a broad list of ongoing neighborhood complaints concerning property maintenance, repeated parking obstructions that block his vehicle, persistent trash, street sweeping timing, and perceived inaction by city response channels. Joel said he had submitted multiple reports over more than a year and sought direct contact information for specific city divisions rather than using the city app.

City response: Mayor Velto acknowledged staff were taking notes on the dumpster complaint and said staff are communicating with property and business owners. Police and city staff offered to follow up with Joel after the meeting about his specific complaints. The council reminded residents that items not on the agenda cannot be discussed in detail during oral communications but that staff would take communications under advisement and follow up as appropriate.

Sources and provenance: oral‑communications remarks by John Glenn, Frank Ayala, Avraham, and Joel T., March 24 meeting.